A Rose for Dean
by Miss. E. Thompson
Summary: One-shots of Dean and Erin's daughter following both SPN and CPD storylines. I don't own anything SPN or CPD related (obviously)
1. A Little Girl

Dean had never been more thankful for a phone call in his life as he stood on a stoop in front of a large hardwood door. It was hard to believe that it had already been three years since that phone call and the voice on the other end of the phone rocked his world.

Dean knocked on the door and it was only a couple seconds before the door was pulled open. Hank stood on the other side with the same no bullshit expression that he always greeted Dean with. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door.

"Dean." Hank acknowledged.

"Hank" Dean greeted with a smile. Dean knew that the man loved to give him a hard time, but he always relented, he was never given much of a choice. From inside Dean could hear little feet running through the house. Dean looked around Hank and saw Justin chasing the little girl in a goofy crunched position. She squealed in delight as she looked back and saw Justin taking a grab for her. When she turned forward she saw the door open with Hank and Dean in the doorway.

"Daddy!" She squealed and made a beeline for Dean. Dean's smile took over his face as he crunched down to catch her. She ran into his arms and he hugged her close, kissing her on the head as he stood back up.

"Ugh. Your getting big!" Dean said as he set her on his hip and then tickled her, making her wiggle and squeal till he put her back on the ground, but she didn't go far. She reached up for Dean's hand and he let her wrap her little hand around two of his fingers.

"Come look, daddy. Grandpa got me new toys!" She said excitedly and attempted to drag him into the house. Dean chuckled and Hank smirked as he stepped out of the way, allowing Dean into the house.

"Oh, he's spoiling you again, is he?" Dean asked as he slid a look to Hank. Hank would never admit it, but he was just a big softy.

"Yep." She said with a nod as she led her father past Justin who was leaning against the wall watching them with amusement.

"Justin." Dean said with a nod. Justin gave a nod back before calling out.

"Erin! Your baby daddy's here!" Dean rolled his eyes while Justin smirked knowing what he had just started.

"Justin!" Came a scolding voice from the top of the stairs. It was Dean's turn to smirk as his little girl pulled him into the living room to show him her toys.

"Hi momma Voight!" Dean called as he disappeared through the door way. Dean couldn't see it, but Camille smiled with the name. She loved when he called her that, she knew he'd never drop the Voight part due to his own mother, but she could accept that. Dean had wormed his way into her heart just as surely as Erin had done years prior. Hank shut the door and rolled his eyes at how chaotic his home became with one visitor. Justin gave his mother an innocent smile before walking away. She sighed before setting her eyes on her husband.

"Oh smile, Hank." Camille said as she walked down to him and leaned into Hank's side.

"I smile, when I've got reason." Hank defended as he turned his head to look down at her. She smirked and shook her head.

"And Rosalynn being happy to see her father isn't reason enough?" Hank shrugged.

"I'll smile when he settles down and starts taking some real responsibility." Camille couldn't stand to have this argument again and patted Hank on the chest before walking into the living room after her granddaughter. Dean was laying on the floor while Rosie showed him the toys that Hank had gotten for her when he'd gone to the store the other day. She didn't know how the rough and tough man that had showed up in Chicago three years ago could be the same man that was completely enthralled in the actions of the little girl sitting in front of him. Camille noticed Erin watching from the other doorway and walked over to her. Neither father or daughter even noticed Camille as she walked through the room, too absorbed in each other to care.

Camille leaned against the opposite wall, she and Erin watching the two for a moment with gentle smiles before Camille spoke.

"I can't decide if she's going to look more like you or Dean." Camille commented as she gazed fondly at the little girl. Her sandy blonde hair was a toss up between Dean or Erin, the slight wave to the strands being all Erin while Rosalynn's bright green eyes were definitely her father's. Camille could tell that she had Erin's nose, but Dean's mischievous grin. She had gained parts of each parents personality that Camille did not envy the hell of a time the two were going to have when she became a teenager. At two Rosalynn was already a smart child and had a way of getting what she wanted. Erin contemplated the idea for a moment.

"I see little bits of me, mostly in her personality though, but at least she's not bow legged." Erin grinned and Camille chuckled.

"You definitely could have picked a worse guy." Camille said with a smile and laid her hand on Erin's shoulder before walking past her and into the kitchen to start dinner. She always liked having a full house. There had been times when the house had been all too quiet and they had been miserable.

"Daddy?" Rosalynn asked as she put down her toy.

"Yeah." Dean said, his attention all hers. Dean had promised himself the second he'd found out Erin was pregnant that he was going to be a better father than John had ever been to him or Sam. The life he lived, he knew that we wasn't always going to be able to be there for her and that, as much as he hated it he might not live to see her graduate high school, but when he was there he was going to be all there. The last hunt didn't matter and the next one was the furthest thing from his mind. When Dean passed the Chicago city limit all his attention went to Rosalynn and nothing else mattered. The world could burn to the ground around them and Dean wouldn't even notice.

"You stay here?" Rosalynn asked and Dean smiled.

"Well, I don't know. You think you can talk your grandpa into that?" Dean asked knowing full well that Hank couldn't deny Rosie anything and it was as good as done as soon as the little girl said that was what she wanted and she knew it too. Rosalynn nodded her head seriously and Dean chuckled.

"As soon as you get his okay. I'll bring in my bag." Rosalynn beamed and then noticed Erin in the doorway.

"Momma, daddy staying here!" Rose exclaimed and Erin smiled while Dean laughed.

"Yeah? Why don't you talk to grandpa." Rosie smiled and ran out of the room shouting for Hank as she went.

"I give Hank three minutes." Dean wagered and Erin shook her head.

"Like you're any better?" She challenged as she moved into the room and sat on the couch. Dean pushed himself off the ground and took a seat on the other end.

"No, and I'm not going to pretend to be." Dean said with a cocky grin.

"Sometimes I wonder what I ever saw in you." Erin said, even though she meant it as a slight jab at Dean, his grin never dropped.

"You didn't see anything in me. You'd just had your world rocked by mine and were drunk and then I was available." Erin sighed and looked to Dean. She lied, she knew exactly what she had seen in Dean. He was hot and he didn't know anything about her at the time and he hadn't cared to try and after you got passed the harsh and brash exterior that he held in front of himself to protect himself from the world, she found that he was a good guy that had seen just as much shit in the world as she had and she took comfort in that.

She and Dean had tried to make a go of it after she had called him back to Chicago to tell him she was pregnant and it hadn't worked out. They made a terrible couple, but turned out to be great friends. Erin knew what Dean was competing against, at least a little of it and she preferred to know as little as possible after seeing it first hand when Dean had originally come to Chicago on a werewolf case. Erin knew that hunting was all Dean knew, just like being a cop was all Erin had managed to figure out for herself.

They were both broken people, but in different ways. Erin was the type of broken that everyone was familiar with, she grew up not knowing who her father was and if she was completely honest she doubted that Bunny knew who he was either. She'd practically grown up on the streets of Chicago and ended up hooked on the same drugs that plagued her mother by the time she was 14. She was lucky though. Hank had been in the gang unit and was familiar with her mother and the kind of men that she ran around with and had been around on several occasions while Erin was growing up and he had been the one to pull her off the streets and into his home when she was 15. He got her clean and patched her life back together, his and Camille's presence in her life was the reason that she graduated high school and went on to be a cop. Erin wasn't blind, she knew Hank had a hand in her career and though she hated that he felt he needed to safe guard her, she appreciated it. He saw something in her that she didn't even see in herself.

Dean on the other hand. He'd always known exactly who his parents were and that was the problem. His father, a military man turned mechanic when he settled down with his mom in a little town in Kansas, that is until she was brutally murdered in their home and his dad flipped a switch. She'd never met the man and Dean never said a bad thing about him, but the thought of ever meeting the man scared her. Dean had never thought to tell her his dad was a terrible father, but she had figured it out quickly when Dean had told her stories about his childhood. It was always Dean and Sam, John was never in the good stories. Dean tried to defend his dad, but Erin could see that Dean was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince her. Her heart broke every time Dean revealed something about his childhood. The good times for him were things that even she had taken for granted when she was a kid. When he and Sam had set off fireworks one fourth of July and when a friend of John's had taught him to play catch at the park. Dean was the kind of broken that people didn't see or understand unless you were too close or broken too.

She knew that Dean had been struggling with his life when she'd met him. His brother had run off to college after a bad fight with their father and wouldn't answer Dean's phone calls. The only way Dean knew that his brother was alright was when he went to Stanford and stalked his brother for a couple days. And John, the pathetic excuse for a father that he is seemed to think if he couldn't have both boys then he would settle for none, he treated Dean as a soldier, only there for back up when he needed it and when he didn't, he disappeared, only giving Dean a call when he needed something or had a case for him. Erin had never met the man and she hated him more than anyone she'd ever met.

"You stop by to see Sam lately?" Erin asked and Dean smiled. Dean called weekly and tried to stop by Chicago at least once a month, it was rare when he didn't and last month had been one of those rare occasions and Erin figured Sam would be the reason.

"Yeah, he's managed to get himself a girl." Dean's smile was happy though a little sad because he knew there would never be a formal introduction, Sam would never willingly introduce that girl to the life he lived before going off to college.

"She's hot and totally out of his league." Dean teased and Erin smiled.

"Did you talk to him this time?" Erin asked and Dean's smile faded.

"No. He doesn't want to talk to me. If he did he'd call. I made sure to never change my number just so that if he ever decided to call me back he could." Erin's heart broke just a little bit more.

"Daddy, daddy!" Rosie yelled and they could hear her little feet running through the house toward them. The sadness that had been on Dean's face disappeared like it'd never been there and the smile was back. If Erin didn't know any better she would think that Dean was bi-polar with how fast he could switch to being the happiest guy in the world when Rosie came into the room.

"Yeah, baby girl?" He asked as he scooped her up and set her in his lap.

"Grandpa say you can stay in my room!" She informed happily and Erin grinned at Hank's underhandedness. He was letting Rosie have her way, but was sticking it to Dean by making him sleep on the floor instead of allowing him to use the spare bedroom. Joke was on Hank because Erin knew that Dean wouldn't bat an eye to sleeping on the floor if he got to spend the night with his little girl. She could already see herself walking in on them both sleeping on the floor in the morning because Rosie wouldn't let her father sleep on the floor alone.

"Then we better go get my bag before grandpa changes his mind." Dean said and Rosie nodded excitedly. Dean stood up and carried Rosie with him back outside. Erin could only smile as Dean and Rosie chatted happily while getting his bag out of the back of the impala. She held the door to the house open for him as he walked back into the house.

"Now you got to tell me where your room is, I don't think I remember." Dean said and Rosie giggled.

"Silly daddy." She said and pointed up the stairs. Dean climbed the stairs and Rosalynn continued to rattle on about anything and everything she could think about. Erin decided to leave the two to it and walked into the kitchen to help Camille.

"Dean doesn't play around, he sent in the big guns." Camille said with a smile as Erin joined her in the kitchen. Erin chuckled.

"Rosie gets what Rosie wants. Like you and I haven't done the same thing?" Erin asked and Camille shot her a coy expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I would never use my granddaughter to get what I want." Erin just raised an eyebrow before picking up a knife to cut up the carrots that Camille had set out.

"I just hope she's always this happy to see her dad." Erin sighed as she set to work on the carrots. Camille glanced over at Erin fondly.

"I think if a man was ever capable of pulling it off, I think it would be Dean." She said and Erin laughed.

"Well and he plays dirty. When he's around she's spoiled rotten." Erin said jokingly and Camille laughed.

"And what girl wouldn't want that?" Camille asked and the two laughed.


	2. What You Missed

As much as Dean was ecstatic that Sam was with him again, it was tampered by the fact it took dad going missing and Jess dying to do it. And on top of that it had kept him away from Chicago for three months and it was killing him to not see his little girl. Erin had said that Rosie was especially missing him, that she was asking for him almost every day now and that made his chest ache to think that his staying away to protect her was hurting his little girl.

Dean hadn't even come clean to Sam yet. He didn't know how to broach the subject. 'Hey Sammy, guess what, you're an uncle, she's going to be four next month.' Yeah, that would go over well, about as well as a knife at a gun fight.

"Dean!" Sam's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Dean asked, shaking his head a little before focusing on Sam.

"I asked, where are you going? You've passed the last three towns and it's getting dark." Dean focused back on the road and sure enough the sun was just barely peaking over the horizon.

"We'll turn off at the next town." Dean said and Sam nodded though he was still studying Dean. Something was wrong and the longer Sam was with Dean the more obvious it was becoming.

"Dean what's wrong?" Sam asked and Dean shook his head.

"Nothing's wrong." Dean rebuffed and Sam glared at him.

"I'm not stupid Dean. I know somethings wrong. Don't think I haven't noticed you slipping out to make phone calls and you're stuck in your head most of the time." Dean sighed and shot a glare at Sam.

"Sam let it go."

"No, Dean. Tell me what's going on! You being like this could get one of us killed!" Dean slammed on the brakes and pulled the impala over on the side of the road. Sam was still braced against the impala's dash board when Dean climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind him. Sam growled and climbed out of the car and walked toward Dean.

"What the hell is going on!" Sam shouted and Dean spun around to face him. Sam wasn't prepared for the pure anger behind his brother's glare.

"You want to know what's wrong with me? You want to know why I sneak away and make phone calls?" Dean demanded and Sam nodded.

"Because I haven't seen my daughter in three months!" Dean exploded and Sam stared at him stunned.

"D..dau...daughter?" Sam stuttered out, completely bewildered at the exclamation. He had to have heard Dean wrong.

"Yes! My daughter! Between dad going missing and helping you, all I've had time for is phone calls. All of which she asks me when I'm going to come see her again and it's killing me Sam!" Dean screamed and Sam could only stand there and stared at Dean completely stunned. A daughter? His brother was a father? When had that happened?

"When?" Sam asked.

"She'll be four next month." Dean said and Sam couldn't miss the crack in Dean's voice.

"Four?" Sam asked amazed and then something else clicked.

"Does dad know?" Sam asked. He couldn't imagine his father being oblivious to this for four year, but he also couldn't picture John as a grandfather, he couldn't image him letting Dean get away with bringing a life into the world with all the darkness that he had made sure to cram into his sons' minds since they were old enough to shoot.

"No and it's going to stay that way." Dean said angrily as he pointed in Sam's face.

"Dad will never get the chance to do to her what he did to us. She's going to grow up normal with her mom, her uncle, and her grandparents and my occasional visit." Dean said before leaning against the impala. Sam felt like he'd just been shot in the heart.

"That mean you're not going to introduce her to me?" Sam asked and Dean looked conflicted.

"I don't know, Sam. When you went to college you wouldn't even answer my phone calls. I've thought about telling you a million times, but you've made it pretty clear that the moment old yellow eyes is dead that you're back out of the life and back to Stanford. I hate to tell you but I'm part of the life and when you ditch it, you'll ditch me and she's an extension of me. How can I do that to her? How can I bring you into her life, knowing that when this is over that you'll leave and won't look back. How can I let her know you and come to love you and let you hurt her when you leave?" Dean demanded and he sounded broken. Sam swore he saw tears in Dean's eyes, tears that were reflected in his own eyes.

"I never meant to leave you behind. I just wanted to leave dad behind and the life that he'd dragged us into. I regret that you got caught in the middle more than anything." Sam choked out, but Dean couldn't bring himself to look at Sam. He'd been hurt more than he cared to admit and he still couldn't bring himself to let Sam into Rosalynn's life.

"I just can't do it Sam. She needs someone that's going to stick around and honestly I'm terrified that I'm going to hurt her. We both know that hunters usually don't live as long as we've been in the life. I know I'll probably die before she graduates high school. And as much as losing me would hurt her, she would still know I didn't choose to leave her. Until you know that you'll stay despite how much you hate the life, I won't let you hurt her." Dean said with a nod and headed back around the car.

"But Dean..." Sam started to say, but Dean was already shutting the door and cutting him off. Sam was crushed. Dean didn't see him as fit to be an uncle and that was like a knife to the heart. He hated the life but he didn't want to condemn himself the same way his father and so many others had, but he never thought that it would cost him this much.

To be honest he never saw Dean as ever being a father. Sure he knew Dean would make a great dad given how Dean had raise him while their father had been too busy with his grief and then hunting, but he could never imagine Dean letting himself have that. Dean was so involved with their father's vision of revenge and fighting every monster that they came across along the way that he couldn't picture Dean bringing a life into the world that he knew was so dark and scary.

As the shock began to wear off a little the guilt set in. He and dad were keeping Dean from his daughter. He was sacrificing watching her grow up to continue their father's crusade, the crusade that Sam had now joined him on because of Jess. If Jess knew what he was turning into she would be horrified, he was sure of it, but killing the bastard responsible for her death was the only thing keeping him going at the moment. Dean's confession was like a slap in the face, it had Sam reeling as he was served a big heaping pile of reality.

Sam had always thought that Dean was completely complaisant in their father's plans for them, he'd never realized till now that Dean's thoughts rivaled John's, not till Dean yelled it in his face. He was sure that Dean's face would haunt him as Dean had angrily said, 'Dad will never get the chance to do to her what he did to us. She's going to grow up normal'. Dean was just as angry about the way they had grown up as Sam was, but he'd buried it for the sake of keeping the peace. Sam felt like dirt for all he and his father had put Dean through for the sake of their own desires. John had ruined any chance of Dean having a childhood after their mother's death by making Sam Dean's responsibility and Sam had ruined any chance of Dean at least being a little happy with the life he was forced to live with his constant bitching and fighting with their father, cutting him out of his life when he left and now keeping him away from what he obviously loved more than anything in the world now, his daughter. All for the sake of making himself feel better over something that can never be changed.

Sam was amazed at how little he knew his own brother and disheartened by it at the same time. Dean had kept having a daughter from their father for almost four years now and had no intention of ever telling him. Sam's heart broke a little at the knowledge that if he hadn't pushed Dean, Dean would have kept the very same secret from Sam, just like he had for the last two and half months.

Dean was in the car while Sam remained outside of it. Sam knew Dean needed time to calm down and for once Sam didn't want to push the issue. Sam leaned against the side of the impala and hung his head. This felt just like something else the life was stealing from him. He realized it was partially his felt, but he hated that because he hated hunting and had left in an attempt to achieve being normal for once in his life that his brother now trusted him so little that Dean wouldn't allow Sam to meet his niece and it hadn't escaped him that Dean had given him very little information about her other than she was going to be four, a girl and had a family outside of the two of them. What was her name? What was her birthday? Where was she? Hell, was Dean still romantically involved with her mother? Did her mother know the truth about Dean being a hunter? What was she like? Did she look more like Dean or her mother? Did she act like Dean?

Looking at the impala Sam wondering if she'd been in the car before. Probably, his mind answered. She probably hadn't been more than a couple days old and Dean would have had her in the impala. When Sam had left for Stanford, the impala was what Dean loved most in the world because of the connection it held to their parents and their childhood, Dean had probably leaped at the opportunity to have the two things he loved most in the world together. In that moment Sam noticed that Dean had pulled out the seat belts from under the seat. Their dad had put them away when Sam was thirteen and both boys were too big to sleep in the backseat without bending their legs or having the seat belt jab them in the side, so he'd tucked them under the seat. Dean had pulled them back out, more than likely so that he could hook in a car seat. Even though Sam hadn't a clue what the mother of the little girl looked like, he tried imagining a little girl with Dean's dirty blonde hair and green eyes in the back seat rocking out with Dean to one of his cassette's. The thought sent an extra pang of loss through his chest.

There were so many questions about this little person that Sam wanted to ask, but hesitated not knowing if Dean would give him an answer. This all felt like a shot to the heart. If Sam knew this was going to be the result of trying to be normal, he never would have left. If he'd never gone to Stanford Jess wouldn't have died, Dean wouldn't have been hunting alone, he imagined he would have been able to meet his niece long ago, though who's to say that she would have existed if he had stayed?

After a while of both brothers quietly brooding, Sam more than Dean, Dean leaned across the seat and popped open the passenger door of the impala. Sam looked up at the now open door and saw Dean moving to sit upright again. Sam took it as an invitation, but hesitated to take it, till he saw Dean look in the rear view mirror at him.

"Sam get in the car." Dean said gruffly as he turned the key in the impala's ignition and Baby roared to life. Sam quickly climbed back into the passenger's seat and shut the door behind him. Dean shifted the impala into gear and eased back onto the road without another word.


	3. A Father's Secrets

Dean was finishing up straightening out Baby's frame when his phone started ringing. He thought about letting it go to voice mail for a second before looking at the caller ID: Erin. He sighed, letting the tools drop to the ground and answered the phone.

"Yeah?"

"What the hell Dean!" Erin screams into the phone and Dean pulled it away from his ear with a cringe.

"Erin." He tried but she continued to yell.

"Erin, please." He begged and suddenly the line went silent.

"Dean, what's wrong?" He leaned his head against Baby's roof.

"It's my dad, Erin." Erin's voice was clipped when she spoke again.

"Is he hurt? In jail? Anything I can do?" Dean wished it was as simple as his dad being in that kind of trouble.

"He's gone, Erin. The same bastard that got my mom." He could hear the hitch in Erin's breath.

"Is there anything I can do Dean?"

"I… I don't know."

"Where are you?"

"An old friend of dad's is letting Sam and I crash in his spare room." Erin released a sigh.

"Is that daddy?" He could hear a little voice ask and he couldn't help the smile that came to his face.

"Let me talk to her." Erin didn't argue or say anything, he just heard the rustling of the phone being passed over before Rosie's voice came through the line.

"Daddy, where are you?"

"Hi baby girl. Daddy's in South Dakota."

"Is that close?"

"No, not really, but everywhere is too far away from you for my liking."

"When are you going to come see me?"

"Soon, baby." Dean promised looking around the lot, Bobby had to have something that he could get running in a couple days.

"I'll come see you as soon as I have a car running well enough to get to you."

"What's wrong with Baby." He couldn't help the grin. Rosie knew how much her father loved that car.

"Baby got a little banged up, but when she's all fixed up and I can bring her to see you, we'll go for a ride. How does that sound?"

"That sounds awesome, daddy!"

"Has grandpa Hank been spoiling you?" Rosie giggled and the ache in his chest eased a little.

"Momma and grandma say that grandpa always spoils me."

"I believe it. What did you and grandma do today?"

"Grandma made pancakes this morning and then we took uncle Justin to school. Then we went to the park and grandma pushed me on the swing. I made a friend! Her name's Morgan and she had a really pretty dress, it was blue and had a pink ribbon and she had pink ribbons in her hair."

"Sounds beautiful, baby girl."

"Yeah, but grandma says I'm prettier when I wear my green Christmas dress! Then grandma took me to lunch at the diner and we had ice cream!"

"Really? What kind of ice cream did you have?"

"Chocolate ice cream with oreos, whip cream, lots of sprinkles and it had a cherry on top!"

"That sounds delicious."

"It was sooooo good, daddy! Maybe we can have ice cream when you come to see me?"

"Absolutely, baby girl. And we'll get pie." Rosie giggled again.

"You always have pie, daddy." He heard the door to the house shut and looked up to see Bobby walking down the porch steps. Turning away again Dean hurried to end the call.

"You bet I do. I gotta go, but I'll be seeing you soon. I love you, baby girl."

"Love you, too, daddy." He smiled and flipped the phone shut. Bobby cleared his throat as the phone disappeared into Dean's pocket

"Must be a special lady if you're telling her you love her." Dean raised a brow as he looked to Bobby.

"Very special." He said seriously as he picked up the hammer I'd left on the ground.

"How'd you met her?' Bobby asked.

"Sam spilled the beans." It wasn't a question. Sam had such a big mouth. Dean was surprised that he had managed not to tell dad when he'd met up with him before everything went down.

"He might have mentioned something about a little girl." Bobby said as he leaned against Baby and crossed his arms. Dean groaned and leaned back against Baby.

"Don't worry. That's all he told me."

"Because that's all he knows!" Dean erupted.

"The less anybody, especially anybody in our line of work, knows about her the better! This is exactly why that's all he knows, he can't stop his god damn mouth from running!" Dean paced in front of Bobby, hand pulling at his hair.

"The less anybody knows about her the safer she is. That's all I want. I want her safe and I want her to get the childhood that I was robbed of and that means keeping her as far from this life as possible." Bobby nodded.

"I understand that, son. Anything I can do?" Dean chuckled at the question.

"You sound just like her mother." Bobby stayed quiet and Dean took the chance to take a deep breath before speaking again.

"I haven't dared go to see her since I picked Sam up from school, not after dad's message that we were all in danger, didn't want to lead anything to her. I just need a running car." Dean said as he looked over Baby. She still needed a lot of work and it was going to take a little longer than a couple days to get her up and running again, especially well enough to put Rosie in the back seat. Bobby nodded and gestured behind Dean toward the barn.

"That old blue pick up next to the barn, it needs new brakes and rotors, a new starter and probably an oil change. I've got the parts in the barn, just haven't had the time to do it myself. You're not needing to go to the coast, are ya?" Dean shook his head.

"That truck should get you there and back, no problem." Dean eyed the truck. It wasn't pretty, more rust on it than paint, but Bobby wouldn't suggest it unless he knew it could do what was needed.

"Thanks Bobby." Bobby just gave a nod and slapped Dean's shoulder.

"Just go see your little girl." Dean nodded and turned to go to the barn.

"And Dean." Bobby said, making him turn back to face him.

"You're already doing better for her than your daddy did for you. I'm certain she'll get the childhood that you and Sam deserved and more." Dean felt a lump in his throat. He knew he was never going to be a perfect father and far from the father she deserved, but Bobby's words meant more than could ever be express. Dean gave Bobby a nod and quickly turned back to the barn to get the parts.

Dean had the truck running by the end of the day. It was getting dark and he was struggling to keep his eyes open. He wanted to see Rosie as soon as possible, but knew leaving would more than likely lead to never seeing her again. He'd leave first thing in the morning and be in Chicago to see his little girl just in time for dinner. He knew Bobby would keep an eye on Sam, though Dean doubted he'd try anything on his own, especially when he didn't have any leads. Sam was bound to be pissed, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. He needed to see his little girl and Sam could just take a number for a little while.

His whole body ached from the long drive, the bruises from the accident far from healed and aggravated with every bump in the road due to the truck's none existent shocks. Those aches and pains disappeared from his mind when he turned a corner and the house came into view. He pulled over and put the truck in park before climbing out and heading for the door. He gave the door three hard knocks and waited.

It took a minute, but he finally could hear foot steps on the other side of the door. The steps stopped at the door and it was a couple seconds before the lock clicked. The door opened to reveal Justin on the other side. Justin's eyes widened as he got a good look at Dean.

"Dude! What the hell happened to you?" Justin exclaimed.

"Good to see you, too, Justin." Dean said sarcastically as he stepped through the door.

"Justin! Who's at the door?" Camille yelled from the other room.

"It's Dean, Ma!" Justin called back. Camille came around the corner with a towel in hand and gasped as she got a look at me.

"Oh my God, Dean." She came closer, her hands fluttering around his face, unsure whether to touch him or not. He gently took hold of her wrists and pulled them down.

"It's not as bad as it looks, I'm fine." Water pooled in her eyes as she took him in.

"Erin told me… about your father. Is this..." She gestured to my face again.

"Yes and no." He said with a sigh.

"We were in a car accident. Semi t-bone the car. I got the worse of it bouncing around the backseat. While we were at the hospital, he just keeled over. Doctors said it was a heart attack." He felt awful giving Camille the sugar coated story, but he couldn't bring myself to tell her the cold truth. Hank and Erin knew because they had worked that case with him, but Camille and Justin were safer not knowing, just like Rosie.

"Oh, Dean." She sighed, a tear already falling down her face before she pulled him into a tight hug. He fought it for a second before sinking into it. The lump was there in his throat again.

"Now." Camille sniffed as she pulled away and wiped her eyes with the towel in her hand.

"Erin said you were traveling with your brother." Dean nodded.

"Yeah, Sam and dad are a little too much alike. When dad fell off the radar I knew Sam could help me find him." Camille nodded and looked around him like she had missed someone else being in the room.

"Left him with a family friend, he's been letting Sam and I crash in his spare room till we can get our heads on straight again. Didn't think now would be a great time to introduce him to everyone."

"You boys are blessed to have someone like that in your lives. How's your brother dealing?" Dean shook his head.

"Like I said, Sam and dad are a little too alike. They butted heads, had an argument just before dad… He's beating himself up for what happened." Camille's lip trembled again, but she sniffed and pulled herself together.

"Poor boy."

"I hate to be rude, but where's Rosie?" Dean asked, needing to see his daughter. It'd been too long and all he wanted was to see her.

"Oh, of course dear. She's in her room." Dean nodded and did his best to give Camille a smile before heading upstairs. He could hear Rosie talking to her dolls from outside her door. It sounded like she was having a tea party. He quietly pushed the door open and smiled at the scene. Rosie was sitting at a little round table in a little pink dress and tiara. Her dolls were seated in the other chairs around the table and each had a tiny pink tea cup sitting in front of them.

"There room for one more?" He asked. Rosie looked up and her face brightened into a beautiful smile.

"Daddy!" She cried before launching herself across the room and into his arms. He pulled her tight to his chest and held her there, taking in the feeling of her in his arms and the smell of the shampoo that Erin used in her hair. He held her there till she started to squirm and then reluctantly let her go.

"Daddy, I'm so happy you're here!"

"I am to, Princess." Rosie giggled till she seemed to notice something.

"Daddy, what happened to your face?" She asked and her little finger traced the line of stitches on his forehead before going to the bruises that had begun to fade.

"Remember how I said that Baby got hurt?" Rosie nodded.

"Well I was in Baby when she got hurt, and I got a little banged up too. But I went to the hospital and the doctors patched me up good as new." Rosie was still examining his face.

"But I can still see it." She said and he chuckled.

"Yeah, you'll be able to see it for a little while, but in a couple months you'll never be able to tell."

"That's good. I don't like you having a line on your face." He couldn't help the laugh that escaped.

They played tea and he wore the crown she'd given him and let her sit in his lap during dinner when she asked, camped out with her in the living room and watched _Lady and the Tramp_ for what seemed like the millionth time, went to the park, took her to lunch and had pie and ice cream. Dean made a point of making sure the smile never left her face, her smile was the only thing that eased the pain.

Sam started blowing up his phone on the fourth day and he didn't bother trying to pretend, just shut it off. He could rip him a new one all he wanted when he got back, but right now he wasn't going to let him be a distraction.

It was a week before Rosie would let Dean out of her sight for more than a trip to the bathroom. Rosie had passed out while watching a movie and Dean had carried her to bed before coming back downstairs. Erin was waiting on the couch with a beer.

"You realize she's going to be a nightmare when you have to get back on the road?" Dean chuckled as he took the offered beer.

"I just want her happy. I want her to have everything that I never got as a kid." Erin tried to smile, but it wasn't even close.

"And I never want her to have a bad memory of me. I couldn't bare it if she grows up to hate me."

"I hate to tell you Dean, but every kid goes through a phase where they hate their parents." Erin chuckled, but Dean could only feel dread.

"I don't know whether to hope I live that long or die just short." He tried to joke, but the joke was dry and he knew it wasn't funny, especially since there was a good chance he wouldn't live that long. Almost hadn't.

"You better live that long, that time comes about the same time as boys are no longer gross. Hank's going to need help scaring the boys away." Erin giggled at Dean's cringe. He didn't even want to think about her growing up, let alone her having boys knocking on the door.

"Might have to bring Sam and Bobby into the mix by then. Need all the help I can get." Erin giggled again. They sat quietly for a while, just drinking their beers.

"In all seriousness though. I don't want her to ever look back and wish that her dad had been some one else." Dean took a long drink from his beer.

"Dean." Erin said and he looked over to her. She looked concerned.

"What happened? What did your dad do?" Dean looked away, the lump coming back.

"Dean. Don't tell me nothing happened. You never talked about your dad like he was a bad man, you always defended everything he put you and Sam through. What did he do that changed your mind?" Erin put her hand on his arm and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"He told me..." Dean started, but had to clear his throat. The lump in throat making it hard to get the words out.

"He told me that I needed to save Sam." He whispered and Erin nodded.

"You've always looked out for Sam." Dean shook his head.

"Not this time. Dad said I had to save Sam, but if I couldn't… I'd have to kill him." Erin gasped and Dean closed his eyes again, fighting the tears.

"My God, Dean. Did he say why? Why the hell would he say that?" Erin fired off and Dean could only shake his head.

"I don't know. The accident gave me a brain bleed, I was in a coma for a couple days, but something happened during that time. When I woke up dad sent Sam out of the room and he pretty much said his goodbye and dropped that bomb in my lap."

"Dean, I'm so sorry." Erin said and she wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back for a second before pulling away.

"Rosie will never think of you the way you or Sam think of John and I can say that without a doubt, because you would never do anything like that to her. You are the kind of man that doesn't leave unfinished business for your child to clean up. Neither of us is like the parent that raised us and that's a good thing. Our screwed up childhoods are a good thing, because it means we know exactly what _not_ to do. I'm sure we'll make mistakes, but we won't make the same ones that John or Bunny did. I promise you Dean, she will love you forever." A tear ran down Dean's cheek, but he quickly wiped it away. Erin took the beer bottle from his hand and stood from the couch. She stepped in front of him before leaning down again and kissing his cheek.

"You're a good man Dean Winchester, don't ever change." Dean nodded and Erin left the room. He took a minute to pull himself together before heading upstairs. He felt drained and a couple of hours of sleep sounded great, but before he got there Hank stepped out from his office.

"Hank." He greeted with a nod before going to step around him.

"Dean." Hank said and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"We need to talk." He said and Dean turned back.

"Is this really a now conversation or could it wait till morning? Because I'm whooped." Dean said, but Hank didn't budge.

"Now would be best." Dean sighed, but nodded and followed Hank into his office. Hank closed the door behind them and motioned to the chair on this side of the desk.

"I met your father once." Hank said as he took a seat.

"You, what?" Dean asked shocked.

"Twice actually."

"What… when?" Dean couldn't believe this.

"The first time was when Rosalynn was a baby. I noticed him watching the house, he wasn't even trying to hide it. I think you and Erin were just too tired to notice." Dean ran a hand down his face.

"So he knew about her?" Hank shrugged.

"We never came right out and said it, but your father wasn't an idiot."

"When was the second time?"

"Not long after your last visit. Camille and I took Rosalynn to the park, I saw him on a bench near by. We had a chat. He told me something was coming, he didn't go into detail and I didn't bother asking. Whether your father said it or not he was proud of you and I think he regretted some things about how he had to raise you." Dean couldn't stop the snort.

"My father regretted a lot of things, but it never stopped him from making the same mistakes over and over again." Dean couldn't defend him now. Ever since Rosie had come into his life and he got to experience what it was like to be a father, the less he could understand his father and the things he had done.

"Well whatever the situation, he gave me this. Said to give it to you when the time was right. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a death letter, but I know he never intended for you to get this while he was still kicking." Hank pulled a manila envelope out of a drawer and passed it over the desk to Dean. He ripped open the top and dumped the contents onto the desk. His eyes widened when he realized what had fallen onto the desk. There were several bundles of money, a couple pieces of jewelry and a regular white envelope with his name written on it in his dad's handwriting.

He pulled the envelope to him and pull out the pieces of paper that were roughly folded and stuffed inside. Dean unfolded the papers and tried to smooth out the creases before starting to read.

_Dean, _

_ No boy, I'm not that much of a sap. This isn't a 'if you're reading this, I'm dead' letter, though I know the odds of you reading this while I'm still around are slim to none. _

_ You found something good here. I know you were hiding it because you thought I would rip it away from you and I hate to say that you were right to worry. If I'd known from the beginning I probably would have pressured you to do things differently and I probably would have lost you the same way I lost your brother. You've built something beautiful, something to be proud of. I only wish that our lives could have been different so you could truly enjoy what you have. _

_ I always thought you'd made a good father and you've proved me right. You've made sure to protect that little girl, far more than I was able to protect you and your brother. She's beautiful, I can see glimpses of your mother in her. I heard her mother call her Rosie, I'm guessing that's a nickname but I think it suits her, the name of a beautiful flower for a beautiful girl. _

_ I'm sure you're aware that the life we live isn't the one that your mother and I imagined for you and your brother when we brought the two of you into this world. We worked hard to create that apple pie life with the big house and the white picket fence, a life that you deserved. I want to be able to help you provide that for Rosie. That brings me to the items I put in the envelope. When you and Sam were born I went down to the bank the next day and opened a savings accountant, or more appropriately, a college fund. I decided to do the same for your daughter, I've been stashing away money since I figured out what you were hiding, there's fifteen thousand dollars. I know that's not going to go far with how much college costs now but I thought it could be a start, give Rosie a good foundation in a normal life where she doesn't have to worry about all the things that go bump in the night. _

_ You're probably wondering about the jewelry. They were you're mother's. The diamond necklace was a gift from me on our wedding night. The topaz necklace was a gift from her parents on her 16th birthday. Lastly, the three rings were actually her parent's, she usually wore them on a chain around her neck. I couldn't bring myself to sell them knowing how much they meant to her and now I'm glad I didn't because now I, and your mother vicariously through me, have something to pass on to our granddaughter. _

_ I know this will never make up for what I've done over the years, but may it be one good thing that comes from all this. Stay strong, Dean. _

_ Your Father, _

_ John Winchester _


	4. It's Hard to Let Them Go

"Dean you have to be here." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Erin. I will be there. I wouldn't miss this." Dean couldn't believe Erin thought he would blow this off. The world ending was more likely then Dean missing this.

"You better not. She's already so excited to see you." Dean couldn't help the smile.

"I'm just as excited." Dean said and Erin sighed.

"You know I kind of hate you." Erin says.

"Oh really." Dean replies.

"She's never this happy to see me." Dean's smile became bittersweet.

"One day she will be, trust me Erin." Dean consoles and Erin sighs again.

"How do you know?" Dean chuckles as he leans against one of the rusting cars in Bobby's scrap yard.

"I just do."

"What you're a psychic now Dean?" Erin grumbled and Dean chuckled again.

"Anyway I promised her that I would be there for her first day so that I could walk her to class. I'll be there Erin, come hell or high water." Erin sighed.

"Alright I'll see you in a couple days then."

"Yep, bye Erin."

"Bye Dean." Dean hung up the phone and walked back inside, retaking his seat on Bobby's couch and picking up the beer he'd abandoned to answer his cell. Sam and Bobby were sitting at Bobby's desk, each with a book open scouring for answers that Dean knew they'd never find. Dean had given up trying to convince Bobby and Sam to give up their search, they were determined to find an answer and if it made them feel better to be actively searching of a way to save him then Dean couldn't ask for much more. Erin still didn't know about his deal and he figured he'd have to tell her sometime soon. She'd have to prepare for when Dean was taken away and Rosie would be left without a father. It pained Dean to think that Rosie would have to grow up much like him in the sense of losing a parent far too young and depending on a parent with a high risk and time consuming job. As much as it pained him, Dean was also resigned to the outcome. He'd known since the moment that Erin had told him she was pregnant that he was more than likely never going to see his child grow up.

Sam and Bobby thought that Dean was still living in denial, that he hadn't come to fully realize the consequences of his deal, but he did. After Sam found out and Dean had gotten more than a couple minutes to himself he'd let them hit like a ton of bricks. Dean wouldn't live to see Rosie graduate kindergarten or talk to her about her new friends or the class bully. He wouldn't be there to see her grow into the woman he imagined she'd grow into. He wouldn't be there to scare away the monsters under the bed or scare away her first boyfriend. And just like he'd always known he'd never see her graduate from high school. Dean had cried then, not for himself, but for Rosie. He'd doomed his little girl just like he'd been doomed when he'd lost his mother.

But on one positive note, Sam had eased up on hunting everything that crossed their path. Sam wasn't happy about it by any means, but he didn't bitch as much when Dean slipped away to spend as much time as possible with Rosie. He hadn't spent this much time with her since the months following her birth. Back then he'd all but moved in with Hank and Camille and helped Erin with the midnight feedings and diaper changes, had been there for every doctors appointment, panicked through Rosie's first cold and celebrated all the milestones. He'd been there for her first tooth, the first time she rolled over, the first time she crawled, her first word and her first steps. Dean found himself longing for those days more and more lately, when things had been so simple. Even with the yellow eyed demon still alive Dean had had less worries then. He hadn't worried about Sam, knowing that he was living it up at Stanford and his dad hadn't fallen off the grid yet. His only worry had been about the little pink bundle in his arms.

"Any word on the Little Miss?" Bobby asked, never taking his eyes off the book in his hands and Dean grinned. Bobby understood Dean's need to keep Rosie safe at all costs even keeping her name hidden especially after Sam's possession by Meg, she'd taunted Dean that she would find Rosie and do unspeakable things. Since then Bobby had taken to calling her Little Miss.

"Yeah, her mother was giving me my marching orders to be there for her first day of school. I'd already promised her, but she was making sure I was definitely coming. Little Miss told me that I had to be there so her mother and I could walk her to class and see how much of a big girl she is." Bobby smirked.

"She's got you wrapped around her little finger." Bobby teased, but Dean just grinned.

"Yep, wouldn't have it any other way." Dean said and took a drink from his beer.

"Your daddy even made sure to walk both of you to class on your first days of kindergarten." Sam and Dean both looked up at that.

"He did?" Sam asked and Bobby nodded.

"Your father was a hard headed pain in the ass, but he did have times when he would pull his head out of his ass long enough to be a decent parent." Sam looked surprised while Dean was surprisingly pleased that this would be a tradition he could up hold. There were few things about his childhood that Dean wanted Rosie to experience, but that was a memory that Dean wished he remembered, he had far too few good memories of John and most of them were of before the fire.

"So when do you head out?" Bobby asked.

"Figured I'd leave sometime tomorrow. Get to spend some time with her before she starts spending all day at school." Bobby nodded and returned to his book.

Dean left late the next morning and made it to Chicago late that night. It was past Rosie's bed time so he didn't bother going to the house until the next morning. Rosie saw him at the door while she was eating breakfast and sprinted from the kitchen to the front door to hug her father.

"I knew you'd come daddy! Momma was worried that you might be busy and we'd have to walk to class alone." Dean pretended to be offended.

"Like I would break a promise?" Dean asked and then smiled as he tickled Rosie. She squealed and wiggled in his arms.

"Daddy! Daddy, stop! I gonna pee!" She squealed and Dean chuckled before letting her down. Rosie gave him one last hug before darting away. Erin and Camille were standing in the doorway when Dean looked up.

"Morning." Dean said walking toward them. Camille smiled while Erin just shook her head.

"You can join us for breakfast Dean." Camille invited and walked back into the kitchen to set another place at the table.

"That'd be great. Thanks." Dean said before looking to Erin who still looked amused.

"Told you I'd be here." Erin rolled her eyes.

"I had no doubts once you'd said you promised her. She's got you wrapped around her finger." Erin teased holding up her pinky finger, making it Dean's turn to roll his eyes.

"I see nothing wrong with that." Erin smiled before getting on her toes to throw her arms around Dean's shoulders.

"It's good to see you Dean." Erin said as Dean returned the hug.

"Good to see you, too, Erin." Rosie came running through then.

"Daddy, daddy! You gonna join us for breakfast?" Rosie asked and Dean grinned.

"You betcha. Wouldn't miss an opportunity to have some of Grandma Camille's home cooking." Rosie raised her arms and Dean picked her up, setting her on his hip.

"So, you excited for your first day of kindergarten?" Dean asked as he carried her into the kitchen before setting her on his lap and pulling over her plate for her to continue eating. Hank had retaken his seat at the head of the table and Justin looked half awake as he shoved a forkful of pancake into his mouth.

"Yeah!" Rosie cheered.

"Grandma got me a new dress and it matches my backpack."

"That's cool."

"I'll show you after breakfast." Rosie said and dug back into her plate while Camille set down a fresh platter of pancakes down in the middle of the table.

After breakfast Rosie all but dragged Dean up the stairs to her room to show him the dress that Camille had bought for her. A little blue dress with green ribbons and stones to match her new Ariel backpack that Erin had gotten her when they'd gone shopping for school supplies. Camille had even gotten Rosie little blue and green bows for her hair. Camille and Erin liked blaming Hank and Dean for spoiling her too much, but Hank and Dean knew the truth. Camille and Erin were the true culprits turning the five year old into the princess that she wanted to be.

The next day started bright and early. Today was also Justin's senior year and Camille was up extra early to make breakfast and take a million pictures before sending him out the door to catch the bus. Erin and Camille got Rosie ready while Hank fiddled with the camera. Dean was a little confused about the need to take so many pictures. After his mom died there were very few pictures, John wasn't around enough to care about the moments that most parents flaunted over and the few times he was he wasn't concerned about catching the moment with a photo.

Hank made sure to take a couple snap shots when Rosie came down the stairs in her new dress with her hair pulled back into pigtails with the matching bows before Camille took over, taking pictures at the bottom of the stairs and then in front of the door, then some with Erin, then with Dean, then the both of them, then handing the camera to Erin to take pictures of her and Hank with Rosie. Dean had to give her props, her smile never dropped even after the pictures ended. Rosie hugged Hank and Camille and the three of them headed outside. Rosie started heading to Erin's car, but Dean cleared his throat catching her attention before nodding toward Baby. Rosie's face lit up.

"We're gonna take Baby?"

"Of course, I said we'd go for a ride once I had her all fixed up." Dean said and Rosie went running toward Baby. Erin looked over the car as Dean helped Rosie into the backseat and into the car seat that he'd snuck out to put in Baby's backseat earlier.

"She looks like nothing happened." Erin said as Dean shut the door and she ran her hand down the side. Dean smiled as he looked over Baby.

"Trust me, she was all sorts of banged up after the wreck. Had to replace just about everything. Bobby helped me repaint her." Erin nodded and then laughed as Dean opened the passenger seat for her like a gentlemen. Erin got in and smiled as she heard Rosie giggling in the back. Dean got in and cranked the engine. Erin remember vividly how Dean drove when she'd first met him, he was all about speed and making himself look as cool as possible in his classic car, but when he had Rosie in the car he was a completely different driver, all cautious, doing just under the speed limit and using his turn signals well in advance. The difference made Erin smile.

Dean parked down the road from the school and they climbed out. Rosie walked between the two them, one hand holding Dean's and the other holding Erin's. Her smile was huge as she skipped her way to the building. The kindergarten students and their parents were herded into the cafeteria to find the teacher that the students belonged to. According to Erin Rosie's teacher was Ms. Rodriguez. All the teachers were holding up yard sticks with signs stating their names. Ms. Rodriguez was a young Latina woman in a bright colored dress toward the back of the cafeteria. She was all smiles as she greeted each of her students and shook hands with the parents.

"And what's your name sweetheart?" Ms. Rodriguez asked smiling down at Rosie.

"Rosalynn Lindsay, but you can call me Rosie." Rosie stated with a bright smile. Ms. Rodriguez laughed before looking to Erin and Dean.

"You've got a very confident young lady here."

"Yeah, she gets that from her father." Erin teased and nudged Dean. Dean snorted.

"Yeah all me, has nothing to do with you or her grandfather." Dean rolled his eyes before smiling and extending his hand to Ms. Rodriguez.

"Dean Winchester." Ms. Rodriguez nodded and turned to Erin.

"Erin Lindsay." She introduced as they shook hands.

"It's very nice to meet both of you. We'll be heading down to the classroom in about five minutes if you'd like to hang around."

"We will, thank you." Dean said and nudged Rosie toward her classmates that were standing with their parents along the wall behind Ms. Rodriguez. Some kids were hiding behind their parents, some being held back and some already making friends with other students. Dean could see Rosie scanning her new classmates before she tugged on Dean's hand and made the gesture for Dean to come down to her. Dean squatted down.

"Why are some of the kids hiding, daddy?" Dean smiled.

"Some kids are just shy. For some of them coming to school is scary. But it's up to kids like you to make them feel better about being here. They'll make friends and then school won't be so scary anymore." Rosie made a thinking face, but nodded. She took Dean's hand as he stood back up and stayed close to his side, continuing to watch the kids that were hiding behind their parents.

Rosie remained between Erin and Dean as they followed Ms. Rodriguez down the hallway to Rosie's classroom. The classroom was under the stairs and was pretty small, but so was everything else about the room. All the tables came just under Dean's knees, the tiny tables were paired with even smaller chairs. It looked like a classroom for dwarfs. Rosie pulled at Erin and Dean's arms as she searched the room for the table with her name on it till they found it at the table closest to the window in front of the teacher's desk. Rosalynn was written in red marker on a piece of folded flowery paper. Erin helped Rosie out of her backpack and had her take her seat.

"Alright, daddy and I will see later when you get off the bus." Erin said and kissed Rosie's cheek.

"Bye momma." Rosie stood up and hugged Erin's legs. Erin hugged her back before she moved on to Dean.

"Bye daddy." Dean scooped her up and she hugged his necked as he hugged her back.

"Bye princess. I'll see after school." Dean said, kissing her head before placing her back on the floor to throw his arm over Erin's shoulders leading her out of the room behind the other parents. Some parents were teary eyed, some mothers weeping, others were all smiles and waves before leaving. Dean stopped at the doorway and looked back. Rosie was still watching and gave them a bright smile and a wave. Dean would never admit that he was teary eyed as he left the school. The same way that Erin would never admit that she let a few tears slip out onto Dean's shoulder once they got into Baby.

Their baby was growing up and neither of them were ready, but they weren't going to hold her back. The world was hers to conquer, they were just there to hand her the tools she needed to make the world hers.


	5. Are You Ready To Be An Uncle?

"Dean, what the hell are we doing?" Sam asked angrily.

"We're going to meet someone." Dean replies vaguely, further aggravating Sam.

"Quit being so damn evasive! Where the hell are we going and who are we meeting?" Sam demanded.

"Someone important." Dean says again and Sam slams his hands on the dash in frustration.

"Could you just give me one straight answer! I swear to god Dean it's like it's your mission to drive me over the edge!" Sam had been pestering for the last three hours of the drive, at first it had been humorous, but the longer Sam whined for answers the less amusing it became and hitting the dash was the straw that broke the camel's back as Dean shot a glare at Sam and caved to his inquires.

"Chicago alright! Happy now? We're going to Chicago to see Rosie and Erin!" Dean yelled back and Sam froze in his seat, staring at Dean for a long moment before coming back to himself and starting the new line of questioning.

"Who the hell are Erin and Rosie?"

"Erin is Rosie's mother and Rosie is your niece." Dean said and Sam's mind seemed to stop and go a hundred miles an hour at the same time. His niece? Dean wouldn't tell him anything about his niece before. A crushing weight seemed to fall on Sam's shoulders as he realized the gravity of what Dean had just told him. Dean was taking him to meet his daughter, he'd completely given up on Sam and Bobby getting him out of his deal if he was taking Sam to meet his niece. Dean had been so consumed with keeping every detail about her sealed tightly away that he hadn't slipped once to Sam in the last two years, but now he was going to introduce them.

"Holy shit." Sam said and sat back in his seat. Dean remained staring straight ahead at the road, not saying anything.

"So her name's Rose?" Sam asked quietly and letting a little awe color his tone. Dean let out a deep sigh before speaking again.

"No, her name's Rosalynn, but we call her Rosie." Sam couldn't help but smile. He finally had a name to go along with the illusive little girl that had his brother wrapped around her finger. Rosalynn. It's funny how just having a name to go with the idea of having a niece made her that much more real in his head. There had been a couple times that Sam had given up on thinking that he'd ever meet her, that Dean would never trust him enough to meet her, that she would would never be truly real to him and not just a little piece of knowledge that was hidden away.

"It's a beautiful name, but I'm honestly surprised you didn't name her after mom." Sam said and Dean chuckled.

"The thought crossed my mind, but Erin shot it down. Said she didn't want to put that kind of pressure on a child. Didn't want there to be any expectations of living up to a name or filling shoes. Erin wanted her to have a name that was completely her own so she could be her own person." Dean had a soft smile on his face that Sam had only seen since Dean came to pick him up from Stanford, a smile that always had something to do with his daughter, with _Rosie_.

"I'm glad that I'm finally going to meet her, but what brought this on? I mean you've hid almost every detail about her away from me for the last almost two years, why now?"

"Because I'm dying Sam. I've only got a couple months left before the hounds take me away and someone needs to be there to protect them. When I'm gone I need you to protect them. Rosie knows absolutely nothing about the supernatural, Erin knows a little but only because she's a cop and she helped me on a case almost seven years ago, but she doesn't know much and definitely not enough to protect the two of them if shit hits the fan." Sam could feel the lump lodging itself in his throat.

"So that's it, I'm just a protection clause?" Sam asked hurt. Dean took another deep breath.

"No, that's not the only reason. Old yellow eyes is dead and you're still here. I thought for sure that you would cut and run as soon as you got your revenge. But you're still here and that means something Sam. If I thought that you weren't going to stick around, that you weren't going to be there for them, then this wouldn't be happening, I would have given them Bobby's number and told Bobby everything I could instead." Sam felt choked at that. Bobby could be in his seat right now.

"You've thought a lot about this?" Sam managed around the lump in his throat. Dean nodded.

"I've been thinking about it since Rosie was born. You know as well as I do that the life expectancy for a hunter doesn't usually include gray hair. I'd hoped that I would be able to see her grow up, but I was more than aware that I probably wouldn't." Sam wiped at his eyes. He didn't want to talk about Dean dying or how much thought his brother had put into dying for years before even making the deal that would lead to it. Dean cleared his throat and changed the subject hating the morbid chick flick they were taking part in.

"Alright, there's a couple things you need to know before you meet them." Dean said. Sam turned back to Dean and nodded.

"Erin has some serious trust issues. Her mom's a complete flake, she's been hard into drugs and parties like she's still in her twenties which landed Erin on the streets. Erin's never known her father." Sam nodded though he was confused as to what this had to do with anything.

"When Erin was 15 she was living on the streets. A cop was going to bust her, but he and his wife ended up taking her in, finished raising her like their own with their son, Justin. Erin still lives with Hank and Camille and Rosie calls them grandma and grandpa." Sam looked at his brother bewildered.

"The other half of Rosie's family are cops?" Sam asked and Dean smirked.

"Yep."

"How the hell are we not in jail? They would have recognized your face when it hit national TV for being on the FBI's Most Wanted."

"Because like I said Erin worked a case with me and Hank got roped in too. Hank's a Sargent and Erin's a detective. The case I was working seven years ago was a werewolf case. Erin works homicide and was put on the case, Hank got pulled in because he works in the gang unit. Surprise, it wasn't only criminals out after midnight on a full moon in Chicago. The vics were gang bangers and the cops thought they had the start of a gang war on their hands. Had to bring them into the fold to get the wolf." Sam nodded again, somethings starting to fall into place while more questions sprung up.

"Anyway, you're going to have to get through Erin and Hank before you get to meet Rosie." Sam felt more stressed about meeting his niece then he had been preparing for his law school interview.

"Do they know?" Sam asked turning away from Dean and facing back out the windshield.

"About the deal?" Dean asked and Sam nodded his head.

"Yeah Hank and Erin know, but Camille and Justin don't know anything about the deal or the supernatural, so don't say a thing." Dean warned and Sam nodded allowing the car to sink back into a heavy silence as the drove toward Chicago.

Dean had called ahead and Erin was going to meet them at a diner around the corner from her district for lunch. Sam was a ball of nerves and Dean was enjoying his misery maybe just a little too much. They took a seat in a corner booth and ordered drinks while they waited. Erin showed up a couple minutes later. Sam studied her, wavy sandy blonde hair cut short, she was petite, all her features were sharp as she scanned the diner looking for Dean. Dean stood to bring her attention to them in the corner booth. Sam was surprised how her face changed when she spotted Dean, her features softening a little as she smiled and walked toward them.

"Hey, Erin." Dean greeted and opened his arms.

"Good to see you, Dean." Erin said, her voice raspy as she hugged him back before turning her attention to Sam.

"You must be Sam." She said and Sam smiled extending his hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Erin." Sam greeted, but her features had fallen back into the focused unfriendly face she had been wearing when she walked in. Erin seemed to study him for a long moment before speaking.

"You're a lot taller than I was expecting." She stated and Dean cracked up like it was the world's funniest joke.

"Thanks, I guess?" Sam replied putting his hand down since it was obvious she wasn't going to shake it.

"You sure about this, Dean?" Erin asked looking away from Sam and back to Dean. Sam turned to see Dean's answer.

"If I wasn't he wouldn't be here. You know that Erin." Dean said, his voice surprisingly sincere as he looked her in the eye and she took a deep breath and nodded.

"I do, but I don't like the circumstances."

"No one likes the circumstances." Sam said and Erin looked back at him, he was surprised to the see the amount of pain in her eyes. Dean had said that there was nothing romantic going on between he and Rosie's mom, but the pain in her eyes reflected his own. She may not be in love with Dean, but she cared a lot for him and this was hurting her just like it was hurting him.

"Hello, I'm Rachel and I'll be serving you today. Can I start you with something to drink?" A young brunette said appearing at the end of the table before anyone could say anything else and Sam was partially thankfully as Erin's eyes stopped studying him long enough to look to the waitress and ask for a coffee.

The lunch date with Erin was nothing if not awkward for Sam and when the waitress came to take their plates and distracted Erin for a second, Sam took the opportunity to glare at Dean's amused face. Dean was more than happy to sit back and let Erin grill Sam about seemingly random things, but every couple questions she would take the opportunity to ask about something Sam was ashamed about, like why he never bothered to call Dean while he was at Stanford.

Sam was relieved when Erin looked at her phone and said she had to go. He knew he would have to see her again, but the reprieve from her scrutiny was more than welcome. When Erin walked out of the diner and disappeared into a dark colored sedan outside Sam finally relaxed, making Dean snort as move to sit in the booth opposite Sam instead of sitting next to him.

"You didn't tell me this was going to be a full on interrogation." Sam accused with a glare at his snickering brother.

"She's going to be entrusting her and Rosie's safety in you. Do you really expect her to take it easy on you just because you happen to be my brother?" Dean asked challengingly. The smile was gone, but Sam could still make out the amusement in Dean's eyes.

"I expected her to want to meet me, maybe get to know a little, but I didn't expect to have to rehash the last decade of my life with her."

"Come on, man, it wasn't that bad. She could have slapped cuffs on you and dragged you into the station to use the interrogation room. I'm sure that Hank would have let her get away with it too." Dean said and took a sip of his coffee while watching out the window at the busy Chicago streets.

"Please tell me, _you _wouldn't have let her." Sam pleaded and Dean smirked before shrugging.

"Maybe, maybe not." Sam snorted at his brother's blasé behavior at the idea of him getting dragged into a police station in cuffs.

"Nice Dean, thanks for the back up." Dean shrugged again.

"Well at least that's over." Sam grumbled and took a sip of his own drink, but stopped when Dean chuckled.

"Dude, you still have to get through Hank. He's going to make Erin look like a cake walk." It took everything Dean had to keep from laughing like a lunatic at the look of horror on Sam's face.


	6. Round Two

Dean drove over to the district that Hank worked out of and snorted when he looked over to see Sam eyeing the front doors of the building dubiously, though he had to admit that Sam had reason to genuinely be concerned this time. One wrong answer and Hank was more than likely to march his brother to booking. At the noise Sam looked over at Dean with wide eyes.

"So what's the plan? Are we just going to sit out here till he comes out?" Sam asked and Dean shook his head.

"If we did that, we'd be sitting out here for the rest of the day and I don't know about you, but I'd like to get out of the cold at some point." Dean pulled out his phone and dialed a number. The phone rang a couple times before a gruff voice answered.

"Hey, it's Dean. We're outside." There was a pause as the gruff voice answered but Sam couldn't make out what was being said.

"Sure thing, be right in." Dean said and Sam looked at his brother like he was crazy as he flipped the phone shut.

"We're going inside?" Sam asked and Dean could practically see his brother imagining himself sitting in an interrogation room.

"You'll be fine, come on." Dean said and climbed out of the car.

Sam cautiously followed Dean inside. Amazed that his brother could walk inside like he owned the place. It was one thing when they were playing feds and had to sell the role, but here there was literally someone inside that knew the truth about their identities and it didn't seem to faze Dean in the least that at any second they could have a set of cuffs slapped on their wrists and be hauled away. Dean walked up to the man behind a tall desk just inside the doors.

"Here to speak with Hank Voight." Dean stated and the guy nodded and pointed to a hallway to the left.

"Go down that hallway it's the first room on the right, third desk from the door." Dean thanked the man and motioned for Sam to follow him. They followed the man's directions and walk into a nearly empty room with only two people inside. One was a tall, skinny black man looking through a file at the back of the room while the other was a white man with graying hair with his back to them as he looked at pictures taped to a white board with names and ages written above them.

The black man glanced up from the file in his hand, but looked back down when he saw Sam and Dean walking toward Hank's desk. Hank turned when he heard the door close and walked away from the white board to meet them.

"Dean, good to see you. I see Erin let him live." Hank said extending his hand for Dean to shake.

"Yeah, I told him she was just the warm up." Dean joked, but the seriousness in Hank's face showed that he had no intention of taking it easy on Sam just because Erin had already put him through the wringer.

"Hey, Perkins?" Hank said, looking over his shoulder to the man still reading out of a file at the back desk.

"Do you mind taking a coffee break?" Perkins looked between Hank and the two men standing in front of him.

"Sure thing, Hank." Perkins said, quickly walking out a side door with the file still in hand. Hank leaned back against his desk, not even bothering to offer Sam or Dean a seat since he had no intention of letting them get comfortable, though that didn't stop Dean from stealing the chair from the closest desk and taking a seat. He was all too used to Hank's tactics that this didn't faze him in the least.

"So what all has your brother told you?" Hank asked Sam.

"That you and Erin are cops, that's about it." Sam said and Hank shot a look to Dean.

"I've been keeping a tight lid on all things Rosie, Hank. I have told anyone anything I didn't absolutely have to and Sam's not stupid, he knows what's at stake if he screws up." Sam's panic kicked up a notch.

"I have no intention of ever screwing up, sir. If I have my way Erin and Rosie will never have to worry about being in danger." Hank nodded, looking to Dean again.

"You sure about this?" Sam looked pained and angry at the question, the same question that Erin had asked Dean. Sam tried to remind himself that these people didn't know him, that they had no reason to trust him, but at the same time they obviously trusted Dean, trusted him enough to make this decision, so shouldn't that lead them to trust him at least a little?

"I'm sure Hank. If I didn't think this was the best option, I wouldn't have brought him." Dean assured again and Hank nodded, though it didn't make Sam feel any better. From Sam's 'chat' with Erin he knew Dean had told her a lot about him, was it the same with Hank. Is that why they didn't think Dean was making a good decision? Had Dean's faith in him been so shook that the people Dean trusted to look after his daughter had doubts in his ability to keep a promise to his brother, to protect what would soon be the only other family he had left?

"Umm." Hank hummed as he took in Sam.

"Tell me about Stanford." Hank said and Sam was surprised by the lack of malice in Hank's voice. When Erin had brought up Stanford she had sounded angry, like it was his biggest mistake.

"What do you want to know?" Sam asked, hesitantly.

"Well what's there to know about your time at Stanford? What did you study? What did you see? How did you spend your time?" Hank asked and Sam was confused. He wanted to know the mundane stuff?

"I was in the pre-law program, I wanted to be a lawyer. I saw mostly the inside of a classroom or library for the first two years, then I moved in with Jess, my girlfriend, off campus. Beyond that it was pretty simple, class, study, come home to Jess. That is till Dean came to get me." Sam explained with a shrug. Hank nodded and perched his mouth for a moment as he tucked his hands in his pockets.

"So you were pretty dedicated to getting that degree then?" Hank asked and Sam nodded.

"Good that's something we can work with. You see Sam, I've got four priorities in my life. I got my wife, I got my son, I got Erin and I have Rosie. Dean was lucky, he got time to prove himself before Rosie came completely into the picture. I knew before she was born how dedicated he was to being a good father to her, to making sure she was happy, healthy and safe. But you, to me it sounds like the only thing you've been dedicated to in your life is the idea of what life could be when you achieve an easily changed goal." When Hank started talking Sam thought he had managed to accomplish something with Hank, but the more he talked the more Sam realized Hank didn't think he was capable of filling Dean's shoes and Sam could feel the humiliation, guilt and dread building in his gut.

"It sounds to me like like you've always had evolving priorities and I need you to fix that. What I'm asking of you is not something that can be accomplish with one task or in a certain time frame and there isn't going to be a way of knowing if you're doing it right. Rosie is going to be a priority for the rest of your life and I want it to be your main priority, hell your only priority. Just like she is for your brother and for Erin. Rosie is not something you can fail at." Hank said and Sam felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"If you think you can't handle it, then I think it's best that you back out now so your brother can bring in someone more up to the task." Hank said and didn't give Sam a chance to talk, instead looked to Dean.

"I'll see you at dinner tonight. Camille's making spaghetti." Hank dismissed and Dean nodded before clapping a hand on Sam's shoulder and heading out the door they had come in. Sam wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything that would matter at this moment so he just followed Dean out.

Sam barely noticed the icy breeze on his face as they exited the district, he was too distracted by Hank's harsh words replaying in his mind and the rock that had settled itself in his gut. Dean didn't say anything till they were both in the impala and Dean had cranked the heater as high as it would go.

"You coming with me to dinner or do you want to head back to Bobby's?" Dean asked gruffly and Sammy was shook by the question and looked at Dean in offense.

"What kind of question is that?" Sam asked angrily.

"A simple one Sam. This is your last chance to make a decision. Your going to be an Uncle, your going to take care of her when I can't or your gonna to go back to Bobby's and forget that she ever existed." Dean said and Sam felted gutted by his brother's harsh words. It was one thing for Hank to speak so harshly because he didn't know Sam, but Dean knew him, Dean had been there for most of his life and even Dean had doubts about Sam's dedication to this. Did Dean really have so little faith in him that he thought Sam would even think about walking away from this?

"I'm going to dinner tonight and I'm to meet my niece, Dean." Sam said harshly with conviction and instead of another speech about dedication, Dean smiled.

"That's the answer I was hoping for." Dean said quietly and pulled the impala away from the curb and headed away from the police district.

"You really weren't kidding when you said Erin was just the warm up." Sam grumbled a little while later and Dean laughed.

"What did you think was going to happen? We were going to meet Erin and she'd grilled you ten ways to Sunday and Hank was going to look you over, pull you in for a hug and say 'welcome to the family'?" Dean asked with a bark of laughter.

"No, that's not what I was expecting. I was more expecting that he was going to do the same thing as Erin, ask me a whole bunch of questions about my life choices and threaten my life at the expense of my failure." Sam explained and Dean laughed again.

"I hate to tell you, but Hank ain't the warm and fuzzy type. I've been around for seven years and he still hasn't completely warmed up to me." Dean said and Sam felt the sense of dread coming back strong.

"What's Camille like?" Sam asked cautiously, imagining a woman much like Hank.

"Oh, you're going to love her." Dean said simply and Sam quirked a brow, suddenly unsure whether his brother was being sarcastic or not.

"Is she a lot like Hank and Erin?" Sam prodded and Dean smirked.

"She's definitely not what you're going to be expecting." Dean said and Sam sighed in frustration.

"Fine, I guess I'll find out later." Sam said and leaned back in his seat.

"Nah, you'll find out in about five minutes." Dean said with a grin and Sam snapped around to look at him.

"We're not going to a motel?' Sam asked and then noticed that the buildings around them were becoming more residential.

"Nope." Dean said popping the p.

"Hank and Camille have a spare room that you can crash in, no sense wasting the cash." Dean said with a shrug and Sam was starting to panic.

"Where are you going to sleep, if I'm sleeping in the spare room?" Sam asked, hoping against hope that it would be enough to make his brother think about getting a motel room. Sam felt a little uneasy about spending more time with Hank and Erin with how hostile they had been earlier.

"I told you Hank hasn't completely warmed up to me. I usually bunk with Rosie when I come to visit. Jokes' on Hank though, her bed is a lot comfier than most of the motel beds we sleep in." Dean said with another shrug and Sam was struck, probably not for the last time during this trip, by just how much being a father had changed Dean. When they had been growing up Dean had hated sharing a bed with anyone, didn't matter they snored or not, he hated it and would whine incessantly about it, at least when their dad wasn't around. Dean didn't even stay long enough to share a warm bed with any of his frequent conquests, but now Dean willing bunked with a little girl and didn't think twice about it. Sam was amazed.

"Of course, you're going to have to ask Rosie before you can sleep in the spare room. If she says you go then you'll have to go find a motel for a couple nights." Dean said and by the look on his face Sam knew that Dean wasn't joking.

"Dude, seriously?" Sam asked and Dean nodded.

"You'd be amazed how much she controls around here." Dean said with a chuckle and Sam shook his head, though oddly enough this turn of events didn't surprise him.


	7. Meet Rosie

Sam was surprised when they pulled up to a nice suburban neighborhood in front of a gray house with flower boxes under the windows. It wasn't like anywhere he was used to being and not quite what he had been expecting after meeting Hank and Erin. The boxes were barren given that it was the middle of winter in Chicago, but Sam could easily imagine bright colored flowers growing in those boxes come spring making the perfect image of what the exterior of an apple pie life would look like minus the white fence.

Dean shut off the car and climbed out with Sam not far behind as they crossed the quiet street. It was already getting dark but lights were on in the house showing that someone was home. Dean hopped up the stoop steps and knocked on the bright red door without any hesitation, Dean's fingers tapped restlessly against his thigh as he waited impatiently for someone to answer the door.

A woman's voice could be heard through the door, though Sam couldn't make out what she had said and was quickly followed by a gruff voice. Foot steps could be heard walking toward the door before it was pulled open to reveal a boy that was obviously Hank's son. The young man bore a striking resemblance to his father, especially when he eyed Sam suspicously before looking to Dean.

"Hey Justin, how you doing?" Dean asked as he stepped closer.

"Fine, who's with ya?" Justin asked as he studied Sam again and Sam almost felt the need to squirm as the kid did an alarmingly good impression of his father.

"This is my brother, Sam." Dean said with a smile and Justin quirked a brow as he looked between the two.

"You two don't really look alike. I had started to think you were making up this brother of yours since you'd never brought him around." Justin said and opened the door wide as he stepped out of the way. Dean snorted at Justin's logic.

"Dude, if I was going to make something up, it wouldn't be having a nerdy little brother." Dean said as he stepped inside.

"Hey!" Sam said in fake offense, making Dean chuckle and Justin smirked.

"Mom's in the kitchen, and Rosie's at a friend's. Erin's going to pick her up on her way home." Justin said as he shut the door behind Sam. Sam saw his brother's face fall a little at having to wait a little longer, but nodded.

"Thanks, Justin." Dean said and held out his hand for Justin to shake.

"No problem," Justin said and gave Dean's hand a brief shake.

"How long you planning on staying?" Justin asked as he glanced toward Sam.

"A couple days. I've missed my girl and figure she should get a chance to get to know her other uncle." Justin nodded and headed up the stairs without a backward glance. Sam was a little puzzled by the boy, but Dean didn't seem to think anything of it.

"Is he always like that?" Sam asked and Dean shrugged.

"Justin's a lot like his dad, he's not much of a people person. He's actually a good kid, just give him some time to warm up to you." Sam nodded, but he highly doubted the kid was going to warm up to him. As much as Dean denied it, he was the people person of the two and if it had taken years for Hank to warm up to Dean and Justin was just like his dad then Sam highly doubted either one was likely to warm up to him anytime soon, especially with the bad impression he seemed to have already made.

Dean kicked off his shoes and Sam followed suit before following Dean further into the house. Going down the hallway an enticing smell drifted through the air that made Sam's mouth water. Dean made a noise as he smelled the air and walked a little faster. Dean lead them into a kitchen with a petite woman standing in front of a stove stirring a large pot.

"I don't know what it is that you do to make everything smell so good, but it smells like heaven in here." Dean said and the woman jumped a little before turning around to face them. It took a second for her to realize who was in front of her but when she did a bright smile came to her face.

"Dean!" She cheered and quickly walked toward them, pulling Dean into a tight hug much to Sam's surprise. This woman was beautiful and all but radiated joy, the complete opposite of her husband.

"Hey mama." Dean replied and laid a kiss to her cheek, something Sam had never seen Dean do before. She beamed and took a step back, giving Dean a once over before noticing Sam.

"And this must be Sam." She said, her smile never dimming as she stepped around Dean and pulled Sam into a tight hug, much to his surprise and Dean's amusement as he saw his little brother's surprised and uncomfortable face.

"Yeah, this is Sammy. Figured it was about time I dragged him along." Dean said and Camille patted his shoulder with a warm smile.

"I've heard so much about you Sam, it's like I already know you. It's so good to meet you. I'm Camille, but you can call mama if you want, Dean and Erin do." Camille said and held out her hand this time which Sam easily took. He was amazed at how different she was from the other members of her family, it was almost like night and day.

"It's good to meet you too, Camille." Sam said with a smile.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I was making spaghetti or else I wouldn't have had enough for the two of you. How long are you planning on staying? I'm going to have to make a trip to the grocery store tomorrow."

"A couple days. I want Rosie to get the chance to meet and get to know Sammy." Dean stated and Camille nodded.

"Of course." She said with a nod.

"You're more than welcome to stay in the guest room, Sam. I'll have Justin put clean sheets on the bed after dinner."

"We'll have to run it by Rosie first. Told Sam she makes the finally decision of whether he stays or has to find his own place for a couple days." Dean said with a smile and Camille laughed.

"Of course, but either way we won't have Sam sleeping in some motel, we'll just sneak him in and out when she's not looking." Camille said conspiratorially with a mischievous glint in her eye that made Sam like her even more.

"Speaking of the little princess, she should be home here in a couple minutes. Meredith picked her up from school for me so she could have a play date with Lexi. Those two have been all but connected at the hip the last three months."

"Would have thought Hank would want to pick her up. He usually jumps at any chance to have a beer with Al." Dean said as he sank into a chair at the table.

"Which is exactly why I didn't ask him to pick her up. I'd like to eat dinner while it's still warm thank you." Camille sassed and Sam chuckled along with his brother.

The three made idle conversation for a while till they heard the door open and the sound of a little voice talking loudly about what she had done over at Lexi's house filled the room. Sam watched as his brother's face immediately brightened at the sound. Dean stood from the table, moving closer to the door way, all conversation between the three adults over as the elusive little girl was about to make her entrance.

Sam stood back as a little girl with sandy blonde hair walked into the kitchen in front of Erin. She turned to face the room and her bright green eyes widened as she spotted Dean standing next to the table.

"Daddy!" She squealed and ran toward him with her arm spread wide. Dean must have been expecting this since he caught her with ease and hugged her tight to his chest.

"Hey, baby girl. God, I've missed you." Dean mumbled into her hair as her arms snaked around his neck to pull herself closer. The scene was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, and Sam felt a little choked as he looked on.

With practiced ease Dean moved her so she wasn't crushed to his chest anymore and could look around the room though her eyes never left her father. Sam took the opportunity to study the two, seeing the obvious Winchester features in the little girl with her green eyes and pouty lips, giving her a striking resemblance to her father, but Sam could also see little bits of Erin in the little girl with her angular nose and cheekbones along with the sandy blonde hair that was maybe a shade or two lighter than her mother's.

Rosie had immediately started filling Dean in on everything he had missed since the last time he had visited and Dean listened with rapped attention. Sam doubted that Dean would have noticed a bomb going off, he was so focused on not missing a thing she was saying. Erin had disappeared through another door way, but Camille slid up next to Sam and leaned against the kitchen island.

"It's always like this. It's almost like the two are magnets. When Dean's here, it's like they're in their own little world and it's near impossible to get to the two away from each other. I've never seen a little girl so in love with her father." Camille said gently and Sam felt the lump in his throat grow bigger with the information, knowing that in a few short months that little girl may never see her father again.

Dean may have meant this visit to be for Sam to finally meet his niece and her family so he could protect them once Dean was gone, but this scene only drove Sam to fight harder to save Dean. His heart gave a sharp squeeze at the idea of having to tell that little girl that her daddy was gone. Dean needed to live, Dean needed to be here to have more time with that innocent little girl that he so obviously loved more than anything and deserved to see grow up.

It took almost twenty minutes for Rosie to notice that someone she didn't know was in the room with them. Her eyes scanned the room when she mentioned something about her grandmother, obviously looking for her to corroborate her story, but instead found Sam leaning against the wall across the room.

"Who are you?" Rosie asked and Dean looked away from her for the first time to see what she was looking at.

"I've told you about your Uncle Sammy." Dean said and she tilted her head as she looked at Sam, a glimpse of her mother coming through as she examined Sam with a serious expression.

"I thought he would be smaller." She said seriously and Dean burst into laughter while Sam chuckled. Sam moved closer and squatted down in front of his brother and niece.

"It's very nice to meet you Rosie. I've been looking forward to this for a while now." Rosie studied Sam for a moment longer before looking back to Dean with a serious face.

"Does this mean I get more presents on my birthday?" She asked and Dean once again couldn't hold back the laughter while Sam looked on a little perplexed by the little girl's question.

"Maybe, and if you're a very good girl, you might get something extra at Christmas too." Rosie smiled as she looked back to Sam.

"Okay, you can be my uncle." Sam laughed from the sheer ridiculousness of the comment, but could already feel himself falling in love with this little piece of Dean that was still completely innocent and unmarred by the world outside of her little bubble.

"Well Uncle Sammy's in a bit of a situation, sweetheart. You see, I'm staying with you and Uncle Sammy has nowhere to stay, you think he can stay with us for a couple days?" Dean asked with an amused smile. Rosie seemed to think about it before looking at Sam and then back to her father.

"I guess, but he has to stay in the empty room. He's too big for my bed." She said sternly as she crossed her arms and the brother's once again dissolved into laughter.


End file.
